CfAT Satellite Enterprises
Who we are:
The Centre for Appropriate Technology Satellite Enterprises Pty Ltd (CfAT Satellite Enterprises) is Australia’s first and only Aboriginal-owned-and-operated ground segment service provider. CfAT Satellite Enterprises manages a 38-hectare site on which it hosts satellite ground stations, and partners with service providers to support outcomes for Indigenous communities around Australia.
Mission:
CfAT Satellite Enterprises’ mission is to ensure Indigenous Australians are active participants in the space economy and realise the benefits of space-enabled services. It propels Aboriginal people to the forefront of the global space industry by combining cutting-edge technology with deep cultural knowledge of Central Australia’s unique environment.
Where we are:
The site is located in Alice Springs, NT, a naturally favourable location with over 250 cloud-free days each year and minimal light pollution, which allows downlinking imagery across all of Australia’s land and waters.
What we do:
CfAT Satellite Enterprises builds on over 10 years of experience in the field, having hosted and serviced Geoscience Australia’s ground station antennas onsite for a decade. These learnings have culminated in opening our 38-hectare site at the centre of Australia to the global space community.
Currently Hosting:
Arianespace Project telescope
Geoscience Australia ground station
Viasat Ground Station RTE Network
CfAT Satellite Enterprises has partnered with Viasat, Inc., a multinational ground station original equipment manufacturer (OEM) which boasts over 50 years in the space industry. Viasat enables satellite operators to command, downlink, and rapidly disseminate Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO), and Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) data in a timely and secure manner with real-time streaming to a nominated destination.
The project, launched in June 2020, is led by and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Centre for Appropriate Technology, and supported by partnerships with CfAT Satellite Enterprises, Viasat, Inc., and Indigenous Business Australia.
The infrastructure enhances Australia’s capability in disaster management (such as cyclones and bushfires), environmental monitoring, border protection, search and rescue, and strategic positioning such as monitoring the economic impacts of pandemics like COVID-19 from space.
The facility forms part of a global network of ground stations operated by Viasat called Real Time Earth.
What we offer:
Commercial Opportunities
Operating in Central Australia, CfATSE provides Southern Hemisphere access to LEO, MEO and GEO Missions. Contact us today.
ACCESS RTE - Downlink Data
Access to Viasat’s Real-Time Earth (RTE) ground station network.
Includes:
access to every ground station antenna site
payload downlinks from 15mbps to 6,400mbps for X and Ka bands
real-time streaming and monitoring
cutting-edge narrow and wideband modems
onsite processing
store/ forward and backhaul to a nominated destination
Read about Viasat’s RTE network
RTE Coverage
The ground station supports commercial applications in remote asset management, agriculture, carbon abatement, insurance, finance, and mining.
Ground Station Hosting
Are you looking for a Southern Hemisphere location for your ground station? Partner with us.
CfAT Satellite Enterprises’ facilities enable ground station operators to achieve their deliverables at a secure location, in a centralised world-class facility which encompasses Australia and its shores.
Site features:
clear line of sight up to 5 degrees above the horizon
1 gbps optical fibre
300 kv transformer, mains water and sewage
more than 250 cloud-free days each year
very low luminance / minimal light pollution (Sky Quality Meter (SQM) reading above 20)
Partners:
Contact
For enquires relating to Centre for Appropriate Technology Satellite Enterprises Pty Ltd, contact:
General Manager - CfAT Satellite Enterprises
cfatse@cfat.org.au